EUGENE -- To put Oregon's 2010 season in perspective, one must utter those two words that many Ducks fans have grown to hate ...

Jeremiah Masoli.

With the quarterback's return, the Ducks would have been a top five team with national championship aspirations; without him, they still rank 11th in the nation. In the void created by his dismissal, the question arises: Can coach Chip Kelly, with considerable talent elsewhere, overcome the loss?

The feeling of optimism, the swagger, during fall camp was remarkable and a tribute to the strength of the program Kelly has built in just one year. Not only is Masoli gone, but there were the other off-field issues, arrests and dismissals too familiar and numerous to recount here. In the spring, the Ducks were, to a man, embarrassed.

Now, they are energized.

"We can be great, we can be prolific, in all honesty," quarterback Nate Costa said. "And we can do that just by doing what we do."

The neck-and-neck competition this fall between Costa and Darron Thomas, eventually won by Thomas, hastened both players' improvement. Both have speed, but not the elusiveness or power of Masoli. Therein lies the great unknown of this offense, and how prolific it can be: Will the quarterback pose a big enough rushing threat to keep the defense off running backs LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner?

Although neither Costa nor Thomas has the lightning-quick release of Masoli, both are already better passers than their predecessor. That should open up a passing game that was heavily reliant on Jeff Maehl (53 catches, 696 yards) last season. No receiver other than Maehl averaged more than two catches per game.

But a bigger, faster D.J. Davis returns, as does the rangy Lavasier Tuinei, along with Maehl. The game-breaking ability the Ducks lost in Jamere Holland (he of the career-ending Facebook rants) has been replaced by the solid play of former walk-on Justin Hoffman.

The biggest loss on offense was tight end Ed Dickson, but he is replaced by the sure hands of underrated David Paulson as well as the high ceiling of impressive junior college transfer Brandon Williams, plus Malachi Lewis.

The entire offensive line, which led the Ducks to a Pac-10-best 232-yard rushing average, returns intact and has a collective 85 career starts. They will be blocking for James and Barner, who appear faster this fall, too. Exciting freshmen Lache Seastrunk and Dontae Williams suffered growing pains in fall camp but have the talent that will be difficult to keep off the field.

But the big excitement surrounds the defense. Under the direction of coordinator Nick Aliotti and with the infusion of ideas and energy from second-year defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro, the Ducks should be improved from the unit that ranked fourth in total defense in the Pac-10 (336 yards) but first in yards allowed per play (4.6).

One key move appears to have paid off threefold.

The Ducks moved Eddie Pleasant from linebacker to rover, which put more speed in the secondary (Pleasant is the fastest defensive player), more speed overall (replacements Josh Kaddu and Bo Lokombo can move, too) and an enforcer in the defensive backfield to replace the departed T.J. Ward.

More position switches could pay off, too. Dion Jordan and Brandon Hanna have moved from receiver and linebacker, respectively, and now form fleet bookends on the second-team defensive line -- a unit that appears more than solid with Brandon Bair and Zac Clark inside, between Terrell Turner and preseason award watch list fixture Kenny Rowe at the ends.

Seniors Spencer Paysinger and Casey Matthews, the kind of players opposing coaches swear have been in Eugene for 10 years, lead the linebacking, along with Kaddu and Lokombo. The latter spent fall camp wreaking havoc on the Ducks' offense. Deep depth here includes hard-hitting Bryson Littlejohn, Dewitt Stuckey (another impressive fall camp) and coaches' favorite Michael Clay.

All that talent and versatility will have the Ducks often setting up in a 3-4 alignment.

The back four will include a bulked-up John Boyett (a team-best 90 tackles last season) and Pleasant at safety, Talmadge Jackson at one corner and what could be a corner by committee on the opposite side as coaches impatiently await the maturity of mercurial Cliff Harris.

Punter Jackson Rice returns after a strong freshman season. Rob Beard appears to have the inside track on kicking duties, but he is suspended for the opener against New Mexico -- as is James at running back.

But this fall, all the attention was on the quarterbacks, as Kelly did his best to keep the pressure on but not unbearable.

"All the other pieces have been in place for a little bit," Kelly said. "(The quarterbacks) don't have to be the guy."

Before Dennis Dixon tore an anterior cruciate ligament in 2007, Kelly's first year at Oregon as offensive coordinator, Ducks coaches were convinced the national title was there for the taking. Oregon, with an 8-1 record and No. 2 national ranking, then lost its last three games before regrouping in El Paso with a 56-21 thumping of South Florida.

Kelly showed, as he would again, that -- given time -- he can take his big green and yellow offensive machine, plug in a quarterback, and have it spit out a Heisman candidate and a run at a national title.

Now, he has a defense to match that offensive machine. No, Masoli is not here, but does it really matter?